First off - this is not sponsored content. The following is based on my own professional experience with the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB).

As ever, it is really important that we form our own opinions and views through primary experiences, and if anything in this post provokes a question; reach out to them, they'd be VERY happy to chat.

I can also only speak for the UK Writers’ Guild; I have no experience with WGA or any others outside of the UK.

I joined the WGGB back in 2023 mostly to set myself an intention. I wanted to be a paid writer, to take myself seriously, and to understand more about the industry. So I joined the WGGB in the hope that this would subconsciously make me see myself more as a business owner than just a creative ready to die on the cross of my art, starving and unseen.

Whether this psychological hack worked or by sheer coincidence, or even just all those little eggs I'd laid earlier in the year were starting to hatch, it turned out a few months later, I needed them.

My first funded short film came with an Option Agreement. "What the hell is that?!", I wondered. All of a sudden, I'm in a professional space with producers and a director who knew what they were doing and I, did not.

Dear Writers Guild, HELP!

And so they did.

They reviewed the agreement, spotted a few things that needed clarifying, and negotiations began. They helped me understand timelines, expectations, the fine print, and fundamentally, how things work from the other side of filmmaking.

Since then, I've run offers from producers, directors, agents, schemes, and general questions through their members portal. For no extra cost beyond my monthly fee. I've attended online training to understand financials for freelance writers with multiple income streams that came jam packed with FREE resources like spreadsheets and how-to guides and how copyright actually works, and much more.

I've kept up to date with industry news and what, as a writer, I should put my worries behind and what I can ignore as just noise. I've met and networked with writers. And I've suggested workshops, like what the different contracts are and what they mean - and then attended it when they put it on.

Every week, without fail, the WGGB send their members a newsletter. It’s packed with the usual suspects, industry highlights relevant to writers, and a list of writers and the work they’ve had released that week across stage, books, screen, and audio.

Now why on earth is that useful? I hear you ask.

Skim this middle section and you’ll find the names of co-writers for some of the big shows, writers who are building steam and attaching themselves to larger and larger projects. Opening the door for you to find them online and reach out to say, “Hey! I loved S3 Ep6 of X, when Y gave Z what-for, I was on the edge of my seat!” and if they’re a lovely writer, they’ll ping you back with blushes. And hopefully, you’ve gained a new friendly face in a room that otherwise is full of strangers. And you’ve made someone feel good about it too.

Who doesn’t love a perk.

My favourite one was a discount to the lifetime membership of the ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society) who collate any royalties you’re owed for published and broadcast work. They of course take a nominal fee, but it is essentially money for nothing and works outside of and in addition to royalties. It is what is known as secondary rights.

This largely means anything you wouldn’t know about, like libraries, photocopying, scanning, anything that falls under governed licensing laws etc. This is calculated from the purchase of Copyright Licensing Agency rights.

You can only claim this when you register your published/broadcast works with them. It does not happen automatically.

Sadly, my quarterly statements don’t cover a personal chef… yet. But I can treat myself to a dinner out a few times a year. And that’s almost the same thing.

Not only do the WGGB work tirelessly to ensure that the rights and conditions for all working writers are fair and proportionate, and rewarding, they are ahead of the curve. Working closely with the industry to ensure budget cuts, changes in the market, AI, strikes etc are addressed appropriately and fairly. And yes, you get to have your say too.

They list all the rates that they expect streamers, broadcasters, publishers, and producers to pay you for your work. And they have templates galore for all manner of contracts.

Now if you’re reading this and you work for a production company, this may not be a comfortable read.

Yes, the WGGB keep a file on every industry player. So if you behave badly, they remember it, and can advise writers accordingly.

However, you can get ahead by speaking to the WGGB directly, learning about the rights and minimum fees and conditions for writers, by engaging them to help you review your practices and contracts.

This bird’s eye view of producers, publishing houses, literary agents, etc is incredibly eye opening and valuable when you are having conversations about contracts or behaviours with the Guild.

There is a small pinch of salt I’ve had to add to my experience with the WGGB. They are extremely forthright in their work and, while I completely agree all work must be remunerated, this can be tricky when you are just starting out.

It’d be nice to imagine that I could put my copy of Save the Cat aside and say right, I’ve never written anything but I won’t write a single word without payment first.

But there does have to be a degree of hustle. And only you will know if you can trust the people you’re working with, and if what you’re being asked to do is fair and proportionate to your experience.

I was happy not to take a penny of payment for my first short film, even though it was funded, because between myself, the director and the producer, we’d agreed not to include a fee in our budget so we could pay the crew. And this film would be my calling card.

I did take a fee for my second short film, and even though the budget was comprehensive, I accepted a lower fee than I was advised by the WGGB because it was publicly funded and because it was an ambitious project that needed every penny it could.

I’ve remuneration contracts in place with some producers accompanied by a shopping agreement to ensure that when there is funding, the work I have done thus far is remunerated.

I am fortunate that I have a stable income via a job outside of the industry that I can afford to take this risk. But I certainly don't intend to make a habit of it!

But I learned this after making a painful mistake to ask for a formal agreement after just submitting one script to a very significant production company following the advice of no fee, no work. Cue tumbleweed. Oops.

Well, like I said. Only you know. But if you’re a member of the WGGB, ask them and if not them, then ask other writers. And if you’re not a member, there’s a great resource on their website: Free is Not an Option

Hayley McKenzie pointed out to me earlier this year that a production company may ask you for a full script to ensure that they have something to leverage when they pitch you upwards. If you’re an unknown, you need to work twice as hard to prove yourself.

As ever. There are no shortcuts.

Fundamentally, you should go into every discussion with your eyes wide open. Even if you don’t know what everything is or means, having someone there you can fire a contract or a question to and know they’ve got your best interests is how I have got as far as I have without an agent.

Oh, one last thing. Trust your gut. Through rose tinted glasses, red flags just look like flags.

So, did you sign up? Ask them a question?
Let me know!
Helen

Next up… The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: What Every Writer Can Learn From All Three